Hydraulic ram



(No Model.)

G.Y.ELLOTT.

HYDRAULIC RAM. No. 281,749. Patented July 24, 1883.. \w v Q-WITNEEEEE*@@1@@ M;44

x N PETERS. PholoLithognphu Was-Magma. n. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT QFFICEO GEORGE YELLOTT, OF 'IOIVSON, MARYLAND.

HYDRAULIC RAM.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 281,749, dated July 24,1883.

Application filed September 11,1832.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE YELLOTT, of'Iowson, in the' county of Baltimore and State of Maryland, haveinvented certain Improvements in Hydraulic Rams, of which the followingis a specification.

To fully understand the nature of my present invention it must be bornein mind that water moving through the drive-pipe of a hydraulic ram andcompletely filling it acts like a solid body, and that the power of theapparatus is limited only by the length of the pipe, the velocity of themoving body of water, and the strength of the materials.

The capacity of a Montgolfier ram is necessarily limited, in View ofthemain valve closing with a sudden collision against a solidsubstance-namely, the material surrounding the valve opening whichconstitutes the valve seat.

In my invention, as hereinafter described, the collision of the valveand seat is prevented; and in View of this a ram can be constructed towork satisfactorily, of any size or capacity, and a large body of waterelevated as easily as a small one.

In carrying out my invention I provide the ram-chamber with, preferably,a cylindrical outlet-pipe, and construct a piston-valve to beautomatically moved from within the ramchamber to the said outlet-pipe,its first posi tion allowing of the escape of the water entering thesaid chamber, and the second preventing this escapeand obliging thewater to pass the said valve toward the air-vessel and deliverypipe. Tothe stem of the piston-valve I secure a second piston, and provide theramchamber with a supplemental chamber, into which the second pistonenters and compresses air as the first piston ascends and cuts off thewaste or outflow of water. By this means the first-named piston iscushionedbycompressed air, which, in its expansion, re-establishes theoutflow of water-a necessary step to effect a second operation of theram. In the air-compressing operation a small portion of air escapes ateach stroke of the compressing-piston around its stem to the water inthe ramchamber, and passes thence to the airyessel, thereby obviatingthe necessity of what is termed a snifting-valve.

proved ram.

(No model.)

In the further description of my invention panying drawings, forming apart hereof, and in which Figure I is a longitudinal section of the imFig. II is a plan of the invention. Fig. III is a transverse sectiontaken on dotted line w y, Fig. II.

Similar letters of reference indicate similar parts in all the views.

A is the ram-chamber, and B and C, respectively, the drive and deliverypipes.

D is a piston-valve secured to a stem, a, suitably guided, and adaptedto slide from the chamber A to an open cylinder, E.

On the lower end of the stem to is a similar piston-valve, F, adapted inits upward move ment to compress air in the chamber G.

His the delivery-valve, of ordinary description, and I an air-chamber ofcommon construction.

Supposing the movable parts of the apparatus to be relatively situatedas shown in Fig. I, water passing down the drive-pipe B into theram-chamber A at first escapes around the valve D; but almostimmediately the means of escape of water is cut off by the passage ofthe valve D into the cylinder E. In the mo vement of the piston-valve Dair is compressed by the valve Fin the chamber G and all shock or jar ofthe moving mechanism prevented. After the pressure in the air-vessel israised sufficiently to overcome further admission of water to the saidvessel, the valves D and F assume their first positions by the expansionof the air in the chamber G, and the ram operation is repeated.

It will be understood that a small quantity of compressed air passesaround the stem a to the chamber A, and thence to the air-vessel, ateach stroke of the valves, to maintain the requisite bulk of air in thesaid vessel.

I do not limit myself to any peculiar shape of the various chambers andvalves 5 but for convenience in construction I prefer, except in thecase of the ram-chamber, a cylindrical form.

In addition to the purposes for which a hydraulic ram is generallyused-namely, as a stationary device for elevating water-I propose toemploy my i mproved ram as a portable appa- ICO ratus for extinguishingfires. To admit of this use the device would be provided with wheels orplaced on awheeled truck, whereby it could be transported and connectedto a fire-plug. In such use of this invention the water-main, or a linkof hose connecting the device to the plug, would constitute thedrive-pipe, and the ordinary hose now used as the delivery from thefire-engine could be substituted for the pipe C shown in the drawings.In cases where there is ample water-supply the rain would prove anefficient fire-engine.

I claim as my invention 1. In a hydraulic ram, the valve around whichthe water passes in its escape, and which is closed by the-movement ofthe escaping wa-

